Exploring a sense of belonging for some Forgotten Australians as they age

ABSTRACT

In Australia many children were negatively affected by past institutional child care regimes. In this qualitative research, the authors consider the long-term impacts that such care has had on a small sample of one particular population in relation to their sense of belonging as they age. This population is known as Forgotten Australians and refers to people who lived in this type of care as children prior to deinstitutionalisation in 1974. The findings presented are from the lead author’s 2016 Ph.D study that explored participants’ narrated experiences, utilising hermeneutic phenomenology as the methodology. Interviews were conducted with 21 participants residing in all states and territories of Australia. Key themes that emerged from the data were feelings of social disconnection; the need to construct safe places; and a desire to belong. A major finding is that many participants continue to experience the harmful legacy of their childhoods, manifesting as difficulties integrating into social life despite leaving institutional care 40 or more years ago. The key implications for this cohort as they age are discussed and recommendations are made.

RÉSUMÉ

En Australie, de nombreux enfants ont été affectés par les anciennes institutions de prise en charge d'enfants. Dans cette recherche qualitative, les auteurs examinent les effets à long terme que ces prises en charge d'enfants dans des foyers institutionnels ont eu sur le sentiment d'appartenance au sein d'un échantillon d'une population particulière à mesure qu'elle avance en âge. Cette population est connue sous le nom d' « Australiens oubliés » et fait référence aux enfants placés au sein de ces régimes institutionnels avant leur fermeture en 1974. Les résultats présentés proviennent de la recherche doctorale complétée par l'auteur principal en 2016. Cette recherche a étudié les expériences narrées par les participants, en utilisant la phénoménologie herméneutique comme méthodologie. Des entretiens ont été menés avec 21 participants résidant dans tous les États et territoires d'Australie. Les thèmes clés qui ont émergé de ces données comprennent un sentiment de fracture sociale; un besoin de créer des espaces sûrs; et un désir d'appartenance. Une conclusion importante est que de nombreux participants continuent de porter le fardeau de leur enfance, se manifestant par des difficultés à s'intégrer dans la vie sociale bien qu'ils aient quittés des régimes institutionnels de prise en charge d'enfants il y a 40 ans ou plus. Les discussions portent sur les implications touchant ces populations à mesure qu'elle vieillissent et des recommandations sont faites.

KEYWORDS:

• Belonging
• care leavers
• social disconnection
• Forgotten Australians
• out-of-home child care
• safe places

MOTS-CLÉS:

• Sentiment d'appartenance
• régimes institutionnels de prise en charge d'enfants
• fracture sociale
• Australiens oubliés
• garde d'enfants en dehors du domicile
• espaces sûrs

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gregory P. Smith

Gregory P Smith is a lecturer at Southern Cross University in the School of Arts and Social Sciences. His work concerns the lived experiences of Forgotten Australians, homelessness, and social justice for the socially vulnerable. His current research concerns the relationship between specialist homeless services, government and rough sleepers in New South Wales.

Sandy Darab

Sandy Darab is a senior lecturer at Southern Cross University in the School of Arts and Social Sciences. Her research focus is upon work, time usage, social policy and issues of social justice. Sandy’s PhD was a feminist analysis of women’s time use and their unpaid work. She has also been involved in research in the areas of health, including violence against GPs, welfare reform and industrial relations policy. At present, she is part of a research team investigating the single older women’s homelessness.

Yvonne Hartman

Yvonne Hartman is a senior lecturer in the School of Arts and Social Sciences at Southern Cross University. Her research interests are Australian social policy, work and the social construction of welfare dependency, and social theory with an emphasis on feminism. She has collaborated on projects associated with workfare policies and how these play out in the lived experiences of residents in regional New South Wales. She is particularly interested in social exclusion and the mechanisms by which it is either increased or reduced in specific social configurations.